I
wish you peace
by Paul Dunmall
Moksha Big Band
Cuneiform Records,
Silver Springs, MD, 2004
Audio CD (5351"), Rune 203,
$ N/A
Distributors website: http://cuneiformrecords.com/.
Reviewed
by Stefaan Van Ryssen
Hogeschool
Gent
Jan Delvinlaan 115, 9000 Gent, Belgium
stefaan.vanryssen@pandora.be
One of the big names on the UK jazz scene
gave himself a 50th birthday
present with a little help from
BBC3 and his friends. Gathering his accomplices
from the Mujicians Quartet and some other
musicians he had been playing with over
the years, tenor saxophonist Paul Dunmall
had a 15-person big band at his disposal
for the creation of a three piece suite.
At first, it should have been something
of a celebratory composition, but as the
composer and bandleader says in the liner,
the events of the Iraq war could not be
forgotten, and the overall atmosphere
of the composition shifted to a more meditative
or at least introspective mood. So far
for the title and the background.
As for the music, "I wish you peace"
could be categorised under free or improvisational
jazz for big band. Knowing that only big
bands that have been playing and practising
together for a long time can get away
with a really free setup and because this
was basically a new line-up Dunmall chose
to keep a short rein and let the band
improvise only in a few sections. The
final result is an orchestra that has
no real spirit of its own, apart maybe
from the more or less characteristic sound.
Although the individual musicians are
absolute experts, one can feel that they
were conducted through the piece rather
than listening and responding to each
other. Only at times, when Paul Dunmall
is conversing with one or two of his companions
is there some kind of interaction, and
even then it is mostly predictable. No
electricity at this birthday party. Moreover,
the balance between the tenor and the
band is far too much in favour of the
first, so you get the impression that
there is someone blowing a horn
right next to your right ear while a band
is playing somewhere in the background.
All very nice for the birthday boy, but
Im afraid thats about it.
By the way, the Mokscha in
the name of the band comes from Hindi
(Hindu, according to Dunmall
in the booklet) and means "the supreme
final liberation of the soul". Suit
yourself.